The Fool in Hogwarts

After class, Vade remained alone in the classroom.

He locked the classroom door, drew every curtain, then used a Galleon to divine that no one would enter before beginning his preparations to brew the Sequence 7 Magician potion.

First, he thoroughly cleaned the cauldron and made certain that not a single drop of water remained inside. Then he reached into the pouch and took out pure water, water from the River of Forgetfulness, and three grams of finely ground Water-Shaped Gemstone powder.

Next, he sacrificed two hundred and ten Galleons from the pouch in exchange for the two main ingredients, one true root from a Mist Treant and all the spinal fluid of an Evil-Patterned Black Panther, as well as one supplementary ingredient, thirty millilitres of Mist Treant sap.

The Evil-Patterned Black Panther’s spinal fluid came in a vial of seemingly transparent liquid. It was divided into distinct layers, each section becoming clearer towards the bottom.

The true root of the Mist Treant was only the size of his palm. It was heart-shaped and brown. The front was wrinkled like an old man’s skin, while the back was smooth and lustrous like a gemstone. Its sap was a clear, pale green liquid.

Vade poured the supplementary ingredients into the cauldron one after another, followed by the two main ingredients.

With a hiss, pale white mist drifted out of the cauldron, then quickly sank back inside.

Once the potion stabilised, Vade poured every last drop into the golden goblet he had prepared beforehand.

The potion continuously shimmered with red, orange, yellow, green, and other colours, as though fireworks were bursting within it.

Vade took a deep breath and used a Galleon to divine whether the potion had been brewed successfully. After confirming the result, he raised the goblet and drank it all in one go.

The potion was not bitter. It was cold, and bubbles burst across his tongue like chilled sparkling water.

Vade suddenly felt as though fireworks were exploding inside his mind. Each burst carried an enormous amount of information, enough to make it seem as though his skull might split apart.

He gritted his teeth. Veins bulged across his arms and forehead as he struggled to endure the impact of the information.

He did not know how much time had passed before the splitting headache finally subsided.

He had officially advanced to Sequence 7 and become a Magician.

Vade took a deep breath and began sensing the changes in his body.

His magic had risen to the level of an average adult wizard, and the upper limit of his spellcasting power was a full stage higher than it had been at Sequence 8. Even more exciting, however, was the series of abilities granted to a Magician.

Damage Transfer allowed him to move a wound from a vital area to an arm, thigh, or other less dangerous part of the body, so long as he had not already died. It could turn a fatal injury into a minor one. Although each wound could only be transferred once, it might save his life at a critical moment.

Flame Jump allowed him to move instantly between flames within thirty metres. It was an extremely simplified form of Apparition and could also serve as a foundation for learning true Apparition in the future.

Air Bullets could be created by snapping his fingers, imitating a sound, or using similar methods. Their speed and power were comparable to a bullet fired from a revolver.

Paper Figurine Substitute allowed him to transform a paper figure into a copy of himself and exchange places with it. It was a substitution spell that could not only block a fatal attack but also weaken curses.

Flame Control allowed him to manipulate any flames within thirty metres, or directly ignite certain objects inside that range.

Illusion Creation allowed him to alter the surrounding environment and produce nearly lifelike illusions complete with colour, sound, and scent.

False Underwater Breathing allowed him to create an invisible tube of air and breathe freely underwater. However, he could not descend beyond five metres, or he would still risk drowning.

Bone Softening allowed him to escape from handcuffs, ropes, and similar restraints.

Paper Weapons allowed him to transform sheets of paper into sharp objects, clubs, bricks, or other weapons.

The final ability was Divination Interference. He could replace his presence within an event with a paper figure, then destroy the figure to disrupt another person’s divination.

"Excellent," Vade murmured, his heart surging with excitement.

With these abilities, an ordinary adult wizard would no longer be his match.

Unfortunately, he could not use them casually.

His public identity was merely that of an ordinary wizard with a talent for divination. If he drew too much attention, Dumbledore would certainly begin watching him, and even Voldemort might question the authenticity of the prophecy.

For now, he still needed to keep a low profile and quietly strengthen himself. Besides digesting the Sequence 7 potion, he also had to find a secluded place where he could practise magic as soon as possible.

"The eighth floor. I have to find an opportunity to go there."

Vade spoke softly to himself, tidied the cauldron, packed away the bottles and jars, then left the Potions classroom.

A week later, the opportunity finally arrived.

The Quidditch season had begun. The first match was Gryffindor against Slytherin, though Gryffindor’s new Seeker, Harry Potter, seemed distracted.

Although he had trained for some time, it was still his first real match. It was impossible for him not to feel nervous.

"Eat some more bread, mate," Ron urged in the Great Hall as he watched Harry push food around with his fork without actually eating any of it.

"Ron’s right. You’ll need the energy today," Hermione said.

"I’m not hungry."

"Good luck today, Potter." Snape walked over and looked down at him. "A first-year Seeker for whom Dumbledore was willing to make an exception should surely have no difficulty with a Quidditch match, even against Slytherin."

Harry remained silent.

Snape gave a cold laugh and headed towards the doors.

Harry noticed that something was wrong with the way he walked. He was limping.

"What happened to his leg?"

"No idea. Maybe a dog bit him," Ron said gleefully.

At that moment, an owl flew into the Great Hall carrying a long, narrow parcel and dropped it in front of Harry Potter.

"Isn’t it a bit early for the post?" Hermione asked, puzzled.

Harry looked even more confused. "No one’s ever sent me a parcel before."

"Open it and see," Ron suggested. He had already guessed what it might be.

The three of them untied the string and removed the wrapping paper. Inside was a brand-new broomstick, far more finely made than the ones used during Flying lessons.

"A broomstick."

"This isn’t just any broomstick, Harry," Ron said in astonishment. "It’s a Nimbus 2000, the newest model. I’ve never even touched one before."

Only then did Harry notice the golden Nimbus 2000 logo near the end of the broom.

"But who sent it...?"

Then something occurred to him, and he turned towards the staff table.

Sure enough, Professor McGonagall was smiling at him, while the owl that had delivered the broom perched in front of her.

That explained everything. Apart from Wood, McGonagall was probably the person who most wanted Gryffindor to defeat Slytherin. Upgrading Harry’s equipment before the Quidditch match officially began was therefore understandable.

Still, McGonagall had certainly spent a great deal this time. A Nimbus 2000 was not cheap. It must have cost more than half a month’s salary.

(To be continued.)